Trolley.



No. 689,32l. Patented Dac. l7, I901.

T. McWILLIAMS.

TROLLEY.

(Application and m. a, 1901.)

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.No. 689,32l. Patented Dec. I7,- l90l.

r. McWILLIAMS.' TROLLEY.

(Application filed m. e, 1901. (Holmium 2 Sheets$hoet 2.

THE uonms PETERS co. PNOIO-LITHD WASNXNGTON n c UNITED STATES EEicE.

PATENT THOMASMOWILLIAMS, OF KINGS PARK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. LUTZ, OF BATH BEACH, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, N. Y., AND HARRIS HENSOHEL, OF KINGS PARK, NEW YORK.

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,321, dated December 17, 1901. Application filed March 6, 1901. Serial No. 50,110. (No model.)

means for preventing jumping of the trolley from the trolley-wire, the object of the invention being to provide a construction wherein in the event of the trolley-wheel leaving the Wire it will be returned to engagement therewith, this returning device being in the form of a pilot-Wheel disposed to travel in advance of the trolley-wheel and having connections with the trolley which insure bodily movement of the trolley-wheel to conform to curvatures in the trolley-wire.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figurel is a side elevation showing one form of the trolley and its pilot-wheel engaged with a wire. Fig. 2 is a View showing the casing or trolley-head in section and the stems of the trolley-yokes, a portion of the pilot-wheel being also shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the trolleyhead. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a second form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a third form of the invention. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the construction shown 0 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a fourth form of the invention. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 7 and showing a portion of the head in section, as also a connection between a yoke and the head. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the frame of the head with top and bottom plates removed, the positions of said plates being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 10 is a section on line 1010 ofFig. 5. Fig. 11 is a side ele- 5o vation of an additional modification.

Referring now to the drawings, and more. particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 thereof, 10 represents a trolley-arm, at the upper end of which is mounted a head including a rectangular frame having depending ears 11 and 12, which lie at opposite sides of the upper end of the trolley-arm and are perforated to receive a pivot-pin 13, passed through said arm, and through the medium of which the head is held to the arm. This head (shown at 14:) has its lower end closed and provided with a central perforation 15, and through this perforation is passed upwardly a pivot-bolt l6, and upon this pivot-bolt are mounted the inner ends of the flattened stems 17 and 18 of two yokes 19 and 20, these stems being passed through slots 22 and 23in the end walls of the head 14, and in which slots the stems are adapted for lateral sliding movement when moved upon the pivot-bolt. In the yoke 20 is rotatably mounted a common form of trolley-wheel 24, and in the yoke 19 is rotatably mounted a non-conducting pilot-wheel 25, which may be of glass, porcelain, hard rubber, or other suitable insulating material. The two wheels are held yieldably in alinement-that is, with their axes parallel and for this purpose a spring-wire 26 is wound about the pivot-bolt above the stem 17, one end of the wire being engaged with a perfo- 8o ration in the stem at one side of the bolt, while the opposite end of the wire is directed outwardly and engaged with a perforation 27 in the end of the head. A second wire 28 is wound about the pivot-bolt belowthe stem 18, one end being engaged with a perforation in the stem 18 and the opposite end with a perforation in the opposite end of the head. The inner end of the stem 19 is offset, as shown, to lie upon the stem 19 at its inner end, while 0 its outer portion alines therewith.

With this construction it will be seen that I While the wheels are held yieldably in line they may be displaced while rounding a curve to permit of easy running. Furthermore, the rear wheel, which is the trolley-Wheel, being heavier, it will drop and the pilot-wheel will rise when both wheels are displaced from the trolley, and hence if the trolley-arm be-thrown downwardly, as when running at ahigh speed,

and the trolley-wheel is thus drawn slightly from the trolleywire, the weight of said wheel will hold the pilot-wheel in contact with the trolley-wire, and this pilot-wheel will act to guide the trolley-wheel back to the trolleywire, it being understood that the trolley-artn hasthe usual springs at its lower end to hold and press the pilot-wheel against the wire, and this pressure is what acts to raise the trolley-wheel to its contacting position. The pilot-wheel being of non-conducting material, the electric current has no effect to displace it.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings there is shown a second form of the invention, wherein the trolley-head is in the form of a plate 30, having depending ears 3i midway of its ends, and between which ears the upper end of the trol-' ley-arm is pivoted. At the ends of the plate '30 are formed vertical perforations 32, in

which are rotatably mount d the stems 33 and 34 of two yokes 35 and 36,'in' which are mounted wheels 37 and 38. The forward wheel 37 is of non-conducting material and is the pilot or returning wheel, while the rear wheel is the conducting-wheel. To hold the two wheels yieldably in a common plane, the lower ends of the stems of the yokes are projected through and below the plate 30, and pivoted thereto are links 39 and 40, and connecting theselinks with the ears of the plate are helical springs 41 and 42. The springs act to hold the links in alinement, in which position the wheels are in a common plane.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings there is shown a construction wherein the guidepulley 45 is mounted directly in the yoke 46 at the upper end of the trolley-arm, while the frame that carries the trolley-wheel is mounted upon the axle of this guide or pilot wheel. The frame in question comprises two semielliptical sections 47 and 48, the section 47 having a slot 49 in its curved end,covered by a boxing 50 on the inner side of the section, .and through this slot and into the boxing is passed an car 51, formed upon the outer face of the curved end of the section 48, said ear having pivotal movement in the boxing. To hold the frame-sectionsin operative relation, helical springs 52 and 53 are connected at opposite ends to the two sections,at the sides of the latter. The free ends of the framesections are thus disposed in opposite directions, and the ends of one section are pivotally mounted upon the axle of the pilot-wheel, while the free ends of the opposite section have the trolley-wheel 54 mounted therebetween. To hold the frame with the trolleywheel against the wire, a spring-wire is bent upon itself and rests with its web portion 55 against the trolley-arm at the base of the yoke, the arms of the wire being bent around the axle of the pilot-wheel and having their extremities engaged with the sides of the frame-section 47 ,the tendency of these springarms being to hold the frame in alinement with the trolley-arm. The pilot-wheel has engaged with slots in the curved ends of two semi-elliptical frame-sections 61 and 62, similar to the sections 47 and 48, above referred to, these sections having boxings 63 and 64 upon their inner faces and inclosing the projecting ends of the ears. The framesections are held in engagement with the head by means of helical springs 65 and 66, attached to the sides ofthe frame-sections and extending across the head. In the framesection 61 is mounted the pilot-wheel 67 of non-conducting material, while the trolleywheel 68 is mountedin the section 62.

In Fig. 11 is shown a simple form of the invention, wherein the trolley-head is in the form of a triangular frame, the sides of which inclose the upper end of the trolley-arm and are pivoted thereto, while at the upper corners of the frame are mounted the pilot-whee1 70 and the trolley-wheel '71. The frame being rigid there are required no springs for holding the wheels in alinement, and the head has a free pivotal movement in a vertical plane to permit the pilot-wheel to replace the trolleywheel in the manner hereinbefore described.

It will be noted thatin each instance there is employed a conducting trolley-wheel and a non-conducting pilot-wheel, the pilot-wheel being disposed in such relation to the arm and trolley-wheel that upward pressure of the arm acts to return the trolley-wheel when it leaves the wire.

In practice various other modifications of the invention maybe made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a conducting trolley-Wheel, of a non-conducting pilot-wheel disposed to traverse a trolley-wire in advance of the trolley-wheel.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a trolley-arm, of a head pivotally mounted thereon, a conducting trol- Icy-wheel at one end of the head and a nonconducting pilot-Wheel at the opposite end of the head, said wheels being adapted for bodily movement'with the head in opposite direc- -tions simultaneously, whereby upward movement of the arm with one wheel engaged with a wire will effect engagement of the other wheel.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a trolley-arm of a head pivotally connected therewith for movement in a vertical plane, and wheels mounted in the head at opposite sides of the center of gravity thereof, said wheels being mounted for lat-.

' combination with a head adapted for pivotal connection with an arm for movement in a vertical plane, said head including a frame having slotted ends, of yokes having stems passed through the slots of the frame and pivotally connected, trolley and pilot wheels mounted in the yokes, and means for holding the yokes yieldably with the wheels in a 00111- mon plane.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a trolley-arm, of a conducting trolley-wheel and a non-conductin g pilotwheel, said wheels being adapted for displacement with respect to each other in vertical and horizontal planes.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a head adapted for pivotal connection with an arm for movement in a vertical plane, of yokes pivoted to the head for movement laterally, and means for holding the yokes yieldably against lateral move-' ment.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a head adapted for pivotal connection with an arm for movement in a vertical plane, of yokes pivoted to the head for lateral movement, and means for holding the yokes yieldably against lateral movement, one of the yokes having a conducting trolleywheel mounted therein and the other yoke having a non-conducting pilot-wheel mounted therein.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a conducting trolley-wheel, of a non-conductin g trolley-wheel, said wheels being disposed to traverse a wire one in advance of the other and being mounted upon a common head.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS MGWILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HICKS, MICHAEL OREILLY. 

